Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia is an executive leader in local government with decades of service in the public sector. In the following article, Steve Howard discusses innovation in governmental systems, strategies, and employee engagement that are helping government agencies launch cutting-edge, efficient governmental systems.
The world is in a constant state of flux with new challenges arising every year—from climate change and economic hardship to war and the lingering threat of global terrorism. To respond to the public’s ever-changing needs, the government must adapt and innovate if they hope to effectively spearhead and overcome new issues.
Governments can innovate by adapting tried-and-true methods to new problems, or by developing novel solutions to longstanding challenges. This can be done by establishing policies and procedures that encourage and reward creativity, encouraging inter-agency collaboration, and investing in research and development. Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia takes a moment to explore some of these innovations and discusses potential barriers to change.
Introducing Technological Innovations to Modernize Systems
In the past decade alone, there have been massive improvements in military GPS and the power of digital communications and data processing have transformed how businesses and governments operate. The public now demands simple and convenient access to government services via online and mobile platforms. In response, many governments are introducing new technologies to modernize their systems and better serve their citizens says Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia.
One example is the U.S. Digital Services Playbook which provides a step-by-step guide for how to apply modern technologies to improve public resources. These guidelines have already been applied across a number of departments to reduce inefficiencies and improve trust within the public sector.
So far, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has applied these guidelines to modernize its health care system using electronic records and telehealth services. Likewise, Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia says the U.S. Social Security Administration is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate its claims processing, while the U.S. Department of Education is using data analytics to improve student outcomes.
Engaging Government Employees to Voice Their Ideas
The façade of politics often overshadows the day-to-day operations of government, yet the average government employee knows where inefficiencies lie and where improvements can be made. To encourage innovation, Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia says it is important to engage government employees and provide them with a platform to voice their ideas.
One way to do this is through “innovation challenges” which are competitions that solicit ideas from employees on how to improve a specific process or system. These challenges can be specific to an agency or department, or they can be open to the entire government. The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) “Innovation in the Federal Procurement Process” challenge is one example that is open to all government employees.
This challenge asks participants to submit their ideas on how to make the federal procurement process more efficient. The winning idea will be implemented on a government-wide scale. Another example is the “Department of Defense (DoD) Innovation Challenge” which is open to all DoD employees, contractors, and academia. This challenge focuses on soliciting ideas on how to improve the lethality of the U.S. military according to Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia.
By encouraging employees to voice their ideas and opinions, government agencies can rely on internal knowledge to better serve the needs of the public. Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia says that this creates a top-down approach that breaks free from the restraints of outside contractors and third-party analysts.
Providing Funding to Encourage Innovation
The government must also invest in research and development (R&D) if it hopes to maintain its position as a world leader in innovation. In the past, the government has been a major funder of R&D initiatives, especially in the areas of defense and space exploration.
Annually, the U.S. government spends over $165 billion on R&D, with a large portion of this going to the Department of Defense. This funding has helped the U.S. maintain its military superiority, as well as its leadership in the space race. Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia says that the government must continue to invest in R&D if it hopes to stay ahead of the curve and meet the ever-changing needs of the public.
Potential Barriers to Change
Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia says that although there are many advantages to government innovation, there are also a number of potential barriers that can impede progress. One major barrier is the bureaucracy that is inherent in any large organization. The government is a massive bureaucracy with numerous layers of hierarchy and red tape. This can make it difficult to implement change on a government-wide scale.
Another potential barrier is the lack of funding. The government is always looking for ways to save money, which can lead to cuts in R&D budgets and encourage a culture of financial risk aversion. Despite these potential barriers, it is important for the government to continue to innovate if it hopes to effectively meet the ever-changing needs of the public.
The Takeaway
In an ever-changing world, governments must actively work to encourage innovation if they hope to effectively meet the needs of the public. Steve Howard of Camden County Georgia says that although there are inherent barriers to change within bureaucracies, by engaging government employees’ voices and providing the financial infrastructure to apply innovations, governments can better adapt to the modern age.
